Moving In
by Mr. BG
Summary: Ben will have to stay at Gwen's house while his parents are on a honeymoon. Will he be able to stay out of trouble? Of course not. Still, it'd be enjoyable to watch. Awkwardness. Relationship mayhem. Whole loads of naughtiness. BxG R
1. Moving In

_A/N: Hello. Most of you would assume I'm new here so yeah, I'm new here. Decided to do away with all the fancy, schmancy, over-the-top detail delivery and get straight to the point 'cause frankly— I want the reader to enjoy, not fall asleep. Length? I don't care if the chapter is two sentences long. If I like how it ends, the verdict is final. Enjoy… _

* * *

**

**Chapter 1: Moving In**

**

"What?!?!" Ben shouted with disbelief, eyes twitching, his mind going completely numb— unable to process the _vast_ amount of information going through his teenage head. "Y-you can't just leave me like this! What did I do to deserve…_this_?!?!"

"Now, Ben," Ben's father, Carl Tennyson, started, "Don't you think you're _being_ overly-dramatic? I mean, your Mom and me will only be gone for two month. That's an _entire_ summer of freedom for you. And besides, you _won't_ stay cooped up all by yourself at home. You can stay at…"

"Don't say it," Ben said sharply, raising his forefinger. "I have, like, a million-bajillion reasons why I rather not stay at Gwen's. For one— she's a spaz! And she's so uptight! And…"

"Hello," Gwen suddenly interrupted, sounding quite irritated. "I'm, like, right _here_." She was a few yards away from them, sitting on a folding chair on her lawn, a magazine in one hand and a glass of cool lemonade on the other. Bags of varying sizes and color piled up beside her.

"I know," Ben said with a smug on his face. Gwen simply shook her head in disregard and went back to reading. "See?" He said, turning back to his parents, "Spaz."

"Now, now, Ben, don't be rude," Ben's mother, Sandra, scolded. "It was Gwen who _openly_ suggested you stay with them for the time being while your father and I go on our 17th anniversary to Las Vegas!" She said suddenly gushing with excitement, before realizing that her son was staring blankly at her. "I mean," she said, clearing her throat, "The point is— your cousin was generous enough to offer to _babysi_…"

At this, Ben frowned, crossing his arms in disapproval.

"…err, keep you company so you don't have to worry about monsters in the closet at night, sweetie," she said, pinching Ben's cheeks— _hard_.

"Mom, please," Ben whispered, blushing, swatting his mom's hand away. "You're _embarrassing_ me." From a distance, he could hear his cousin snicker.

"And besides, your Uncle Frank and Aunt Lily already agreed so it's settled," beamed Carl, messing up Ben's hair. "Speaking of which, ooh, look at the time," Carl said looking at his watch. "We better hurry, honey, or we'll miss the flight!"

"Right, right," Sandra nodded, cupping her son's cheek. "Now remember, Ben. I want you to be nice to Gwen, okay, sweetie? Also to your Uncle Frank and Aunt Lily. Don't misbehave and try to get to bed early?" She said sternly. "In case of an emergency, don't hesitate to call us. The number is on the fridge, on the phonebook, in your velvet bag, in…"

"Mom, I get it. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm the world's greatest hero remember?" Ben said, winking at them both.

"Okay, sweetie," Sandra said, looking a bit teary-eyed, giving her son a peck on the cheek. "You be good now."

"For the umpteenth time, that won't be a problem," Ben smiled reassuringly.

"Honey, the meter is running," said an exasperated Carl, as he opened the door of a taxi that's been waiting for them.

"Okay, okay. Bye, Ben. We'll be back in two months!" She said, waving a hand as she entered the taxi, luggage in hand.

"Yeah, bye." Ben waved back as he watched the car door shut in front of him and the taxi zooming away, getting smaller and smaller, before completely disappearing in the distance. Then, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"Aww, look at you," Gwen said, suddenly popping behind Ben, startling him, and sending his pulse skyrocketing.

"Don't ever do that!" Ben said, clutching his chest, trying to catch his breath. _Honestly, Gwen._

"Aww, mommy's little Benny-poo getting a bit cranky," she teased, speaking in a childish voice whilst pinching Ben's cheeks altogether. "That's so cute!"

"Quit it!" Ben said, blushing feverishly, trying to swat Gwen's hands away but to no avail. She was persistent. And _way_ tougher than him. Need I say more?

"C'mon, Ben, I was just teasing. Don't be such a stick in the mud," Gwen said, giving her cousin half a hug. "Now," she said, clasping Ben's hand as they made their way to where she was sitting before, "let's go get these bags insi… Argh!" Gwen wheezed, trying to lift what feels like half a ton. "God, Ben, what's inside these bags? Rocks?"

"Don't be silly, Gwen_. Stone tablets_," mocked Ben.

"Ben…" Gwen said, a stern look on her face.

"Alright, alright, sheesh," Ben sighed, assisting her with the heavy bags, "Video games, a couple of magazines, plumber stuff, sumo slammer collectibles, the usual."

"Do you really need all these _junk_?" wheezed Gwen as they slowly approached the door. "I mean, I already made a color-coded time table of the fun things we can do this summer."

Ben simply shook his head and smiled.

"You're such a spaz."

* * *

_A/N: Feedbacks are nice. And no Ultimatrix in this story. Personally, I think it's crap. Any grammatical/spelling error I'll fix very soon._


	2. The Love Game

_A/N: This is set in the Alien Force timeline. Julie and Kevin are in this story and in their respective roles. Again— no Ultimatrix. It's crap. No aliens. No going hero. I'll update from time to time depending on my mood and if I think the chapter's quality is met._

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: The (Love) Game**

**

"_Ginobili with the move. Here's the screen by Duncan. Ginobili splits two defenders…"_

Ben watched on, completely mesmerized. His concentration solely transfixed at the television, mindlessly scooping a handful of popcorn and sloppily spilling them on his mouth, bits falling and scattering on the floor before him. But he didn't mind at all— his focus was entirely on the thirty-two inch plasma screen. I'm sure it'll decompose sooner or later.

"…_and drives to the basket. Scores! Plus the foul! A sensational move by Manu Ginobili!"_

And as those words trailed to his ears, Ben absolutely exploded from the couch— screaming with unrestrained vigor and zeal, pumping his fists into the air, as if he just won the lottery. Or that kind of warm feeling you get from saving the world or something like that. Only, this is _way_ sweeter.

After expending much of his energy on celebrating and mouthing incomprehensible phrases, he plops back on the couch to catch his breath, smiling satisfactorily at the fact that his sports team is on the verge of victory.

"_And Dallas calls a time-out with two-o-five left in regulation. The Spurs lead ninety-five to ninety. The Spurs on the verge of eliminating the Dallas Mavericks. We'll be right after this break…"_

_Hell, yeah! _Ben thought to himself.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Gwen's upside-down face pops in front of Ben. "Hey, Ben!" she exclaimed.

"Gah!" came Ben's surprise reaction, flinging the bowl of popcorn in shock and it landed directly on top of his head. Lifting the bowl that was hindering his eyesight and spewing bits of popcorn from his mouth, Ben gave a disgruntled sigh.

"Gwen…I swear..," he murmured. Someone please pass Ben some butter.

But Gwen was nonchalant, plopping right beside Ben and taking bits of popcorn sprawled on his shirt and popping them in her mouth. "So," she said, chewing and swallowing the crunchy corn kernels, "Whatcha doin'?"

Gwen was still the same prank-pulling, dweeb-ish cousin he knew so well, but somehow, something was different about her. She was more subtle, more lady-like, and less angry than she was back then. In a nutshell, she mellowed down with age and — hang on— when did she become a tad more…lively?

Ben shook his head and smiled. He couldn't possibly get mad at such childlike innocence. Of course, he'll get back at her for that but for now he'll let this one slip.

"I'm watching the game," he answered coolly, as if the events of a mere twenty seconds ago didn't even happen.

"Really? What game?" his cousin inquired, sounding quite interested.

"Gwen Tennyson? Are you actually trying to strike a conversation with me?" Ben asked chuckling.

"Sure, why not? I mean, if we have to live under one roof for the next two months, the least we can do is try to enjoy each other," said Gwen softly. Her cheeks seemed to have caught a tinge of red.

'Ah, another one of those _Gwen proverbs_ I assume," Ben remarked without missing a beat. Gwen frowned at the statement.

"Hullo, are you making fun of me?" she asked sharply, puffing her cheeks in a way that made her look adorable.

"No, no. I'm just…look, I wasn't trying to make fun of you. Well, maybe a part of me was," he said, smiling sheepishly. Gwen huffed, crossing her arms. "But I only half-mean everything I say. Well, technically not everything. You know what I mean."

I bet Ben didn't know what HE meant.

"Aww, is that your way of telling me you _love_ me, Ben Tennyson?" Gwen cooed clasping her hands together, starry-eyed— the whole nine yards. Advantage: Gwen.

"Pfft. Keep dreaming," came Ben's casual reply. Advantage lost.

"Yeah, right. Why would I even dre…"

"Shh! The game's back on!" peeped Ben. Gwen could only give out a loose sigh. _Guys and their short attention spans._

"_And we're back, hoop fans. It's the San Antonio Spurs versus the Dallas Mavericks on TNT. We're in the final minutes of this Game Five with the Spurs leading the Mavs ninety-five to ninety. The biggest question still lingers: Can the Spurs close out the Mavericks in this first round match-up?"_

"Oh, it's the Spurs game," Gwen said, sounding fascinated.

"YOU know_ the_ Spurs?" Ben asked, quite astonished.

"Well, of course, dummy. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm not interested in these things?" was Gwen's rhetoric reply.

"And this isn't just another attempt to _'try to enjoy each other'_? Ben asked again, this time sounding a bit suspicious.

"Yeah, really. Kevin's really obsessed with these sports games and I was forced to watch them every time we hang out or when we're waiting for Plumber briefing. I guess I just grew to enjoy them as well, too," Gwen shrugged.

_Sweet. No more soap operas for me_

"Yeah, well," Ben said, scratching his head, trying to ignite a sports-related conversation, "Which team is your pick to win it all?"

"Right now? Whatever your pick is," Gwen replied, smiling warmly.

"Cute. But flattery won't get you anywhere. Now seriously, which team are you on?"

"Ben, I may watch sports games when I have to but I am not obsessed with the whole thing. I'll go with what you go with."

"Spurs it is."

"What's so great about this team anyway?"

"Are you kidding me? They're one of the most successful franchises, winning four championships in roughly ten years! And they've done that under minimal financial strain. They're practically Team of the Decade!" Ben stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Okay, how is it that you're Mr. Know-it-all when it comes to this stuff and, somehow, you still flunk History?"

Was that sarcasm, I smell?

"Because THIS, my dear Gwendolyn, is important," Ben said, giving Gwen that trademark Ben-wink.

"What-evs," Gwen rolled her eyes, "You know, maybe I can tutor you sometime."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure," Ben said, completely ignoring Gwen as he was again lost into the game itself.

"_Kidd passes to Nowitzki in the post. Here comes the double team. Nowitzki throws it out to Terry who launches a threeeeee…and it's good! Jason Terry with a clutch three-pointer and the Mavs draw to within two! A minute and twenty-six seconds to go!"_

"Shit!" Ben growled, pounding hard on the pillow cushion next to him.

"Whoa, easy there, tough guy— you still have the lead," Gwen said, quite taken back by Ben's sudden outburst.

" Yeah, by like two points! That's not even a lead! That's..," Suddenly, Ben felt a hand on his shoulder. Naturally, it was his cousin's, to go along with that comforting smile of hers. Ben drew a long breath, and concentrated again at the television.

"_Parker has it—a crucial possession for the Spurs. Parker biding his time. Dribbles up left. Passes to Ginobili. Drives. Passes back to Parker. And here's the pick by Duncan. Parker crosses…and loses it! He lost the ball! Kidd's got it! Kidd with the steal! Here's the break! The Mav's got numbers. Kidd…lobs it up to Marion for the dunk! We are all tied! Ninety-five a piece and the crowd is electric! Mavs showing signs of life! Time out by the Spurs! Forty-seven seconds left to go! We'll be right back…"_

Gwen could see the restlessness in Ben, even if he's trying hard not to show it. His feet tap-tap-tapping nervously on the carpet and his expression downright serious— if there's any a time to mess with Ben, this would not be it. In these types of circumstance, Gwen would wonder if holding a boy's hand would help at all alleviate stress, but then, it wouldn't be proper for her to act like this towards someone so close a kin. Almost like a brother. Well, maybe in Ben's world anyway. So she retracted the somewhat outstretched hand, and just sat there— silent.

"_And we're back in Airlines American Center. It's Game Five of the Spurs-Mavericks series with the game tied ninety-five apiece. Forty-seven seconds left on the clock and the pressure's on for both teams, but especially for the Mavs who are at the brink of elimination."_

Ben balled his fist. Sweat dripped from his forehead. For a sports junkie like him, this meant absolutely everything. Heck, he'd probably let a bank robbery go if it means watching the final moments of the game.

"_And here we go. Parker dribbling the ball up-court. Playing the shot clock a little bit. Passes to Ginobili. Slips past Butler. Dishes it to a cutting Jefferson who drives to the basket! Couldn't convert but he was fouled! Jefferson was fouled! Twenty-five seconds left and Jefferson goes to the free-throw line. Clutch free throws coming up for Jefferson."_

Ben let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. He knows this is far from over but then his team had a chance—a chance to close it out. He shifted nervously in his seat, gritting his teeth in sheer nervousness. Then he felt something warm grab his hand. He shifted his head to see that it was Gwen's own hand gripping tightly on his. The both of them shared a smile as they returned their attention to the game with nerve-wracking anticipation.

"_Here's Jefferson first free-throw attempt. Short! Jefferson came up short and the crowd loves it! Goodness. A wasted opportunity at the line."_

Ben was slowly unraveling at the seams. He knows that if the second doesn't fall, it's over.

"_And here's the second, Jefferson taking his time and the crowd jeering at him to miss it. Puts it up and hits it, giving the Spurs a one-point cushion. Dallas with the chance to win it here! Inbound pass, Dallas not calling a timeout. Kidd up the court, facilitating. Passes to Terry, fakes a shot. Dribbles left. Cross-pass to Butler. Butler finds Nowitzki inside and gives the ball to him. Nowitzki posting against Duncan…fades back…and it's good! Dirk Nowitzki hits with three seconds left! Unbelievable! Dallas with a one point lead! And the Spurs take a twenty second timeout! Dirk Nowitzki delivers in the clutch! Spurs ball when we come back!"_

It's as if the whole life's been sucked out of Ben. He was pale, very pale. It seemed too that Gwen was caught up in all drama, instinctively tightening her grip on Ben's hand. The two cousins looked on, the room was completely silent.

"_And we're back. The Mavericks lead the Spurs ninety-seven to ninety-six with three seconds left in regulation. The Mavericks with a chance to keep their playoff dream alive while the Spurs look to put the nail on the coffin. The Spurs advance the ball to the frontcourt, Jefferson will inbound. Butler crowding Jefferson. Jefferson can't find anybody! He has to pass or will be called for a five second violation! Finally finds Ginobili! Ginobili hoists it up at the buzzeeeeeeeeeerrrrr…."_

Time, as it seemed, slowed down to a crawl for Ben Tennyson. A thousand different scenarios played in his mind. Both he and Gwen stood with anticipation as the ball slowly descended as it was nearing the basket. At this exact moment, Ben could care less about anything else but that ball.

"_He got it! He got it! Manu Ginobili! At the buzzer! Oh mama! What a way to end the series! The Spurs win ninety-eight to ninety-seven with Manu Ginobili hitting the clutch shot! He is THE man! Seventeen-thousand in attendance in stunned silence as the Spurs close out the Mavs to go on to the next round! What a game, ladies and gentlemen. Spurs win! Thank you for joining us here in what has been an epic Game Five! And the Spurs come on top! Manu Ginobili delivers for the San Antonio Spurs!" _

It's as if somebody let the bomb go off as Ben absolutely erupted in glorious triumph, jumping and screaming and just absolutely going mental. To say that Ben was ecstatic is a huge understatement. Gwen, too, was caught up in the overwhelming excitement, cheering and shouting alongside Ben —something that'll you'll be surprise to see her do.

"Yeah, baby!" Ben screamed, still holding on to Gwen. "We're going to the second round!" Gwen, at a loss of words to the thrill of it all, could only smile at Ben who looked like the happiest man on Earth right now. Ben smiled back, and without a second-thought, placed Gwen in a deep embrace. The amount of joy Ben was feeling right now was indescribable. But the feeling Gwen had was even more. Here was Ben, who, just mere minutes ago, was about to implode but now, locking her in a hug that would put lottery winners to shame. She didn't expect Ben to be like this; Ben, of all people, getting all sensitive, and hugging her. Regardless, Gwen found herself resting her head on his shoulder, a smile tracing on her rosy lips.

The hug lasted for a few seconds more before both of them finally broke it. And in that instant, the two saw a very different person in each other. The dim lighting really set the mood to accentuate the others features. To Ben, Gwen looked absolutely breathtaking, like a Goddess; her smooth, pale skin glowing with youthful essence, her fiery red hair cascading down to her chest— smooth as silk, those stunning emerald orbs were enchanting. In fact, right now, nothing in this world could compare to Gwen's beauty. Ben was completely spellbound.

And to Gwen? Only now did she take notice of Ben's shapely physique. He wore a tight, black shirt, and it did well to highlight his well-formed chest, those broad shoulders, even his six-pack abs. At that moment, Gwen felt herself almost losing it; there and now she just wanted to lunge herself at him just to feel him up. And maybe, perhaps, he feel her up, too. It took an awful lot of willpower just to restrain herself.

"Gwen?" She finally heard Ben utter.

"Hmm?" came her soft reply.

"Mind if I..?" He asked tenderly, brushing a hand in her hair.

"Ben..," she mumbled, eyes shining as she swallowed a lump caught in her throat. Slightly her body shook as she fixed eyes with the mischievous brunette that she has become accustomed to since her childhood. Slowly the narrow gap between them was being filled. Gwen closed her eyes, trusting only her heart now to guide her movements. Her heart raced and pounded against her chest. Her breathing grew more and more rampant and her mind raced with a million thoughts. Their lips were mere millimeters apart, the tip of the skins practically touching when all of the sudden…

_And I know this much is true. Baby, you have become my addiction. I'm so strung out on you, and I can barely move, but I like it. And it's all because of you_

Ben's ringtone began playing. The two cousins broke apart, freed from their trancelike state. Ben let out an aggravated sigh, fishing out the cell phone in his pocket. Gwen, on the other hand, was still trying to make sense of what just happened, panting heavily from the experience.

"Hello?" Ben answered his phone brashly. "Julie? Yeah it's me. No, I'm not doing anything. Really? Right now?" Ben covered one ear to hear more clearly, as he paced the living room floor. "Okay, then. Yeah. Love you, too," said Ben before placing the phone back in his pocket.

He looked back at Gwen who had that incomprehensible look on her face. For some reason, she tried to avoid eye contact with him, instead looking down to her own two feet.

"That was Julie," Ben began, although he knew he didn't have say it. "She wanted me to meet her at the pier."

Gwen gave a slight nod, trying to avoid his gaze.

"You'll be fine here by yourself?" asked Ben, getting his green jacket from the coat rack.

Again, she nodded slightly.

"You sure? You know I could call it off if you want to do something together. I could always reschedule," Ben said, sounding a bit concerned, and, in some ways, guilty. His hand was already clasping the doorknob but found himself a bit hesitant to turn it.

"It's fine," he finally heard her say. "You go have some fun. I've got some stuff I need to do anyways." she said, cracking a smile.

"Alright, then. If you say so. I'll be back a while later. See you, Gwen," said Ben, turning the knob and stepping out of the door and then closing it behind him. At that moment, Gwen's smile quickly faded.

_Idiot_, she thought to herself with clenched fists.

* * *

_I am dead tired. I don't even feel like checking for corrections and such. You'd have to make due. I'm out._


End file.
